Sigyn's Story
by Rosesqueak742
Summary: Immediately after the events of Thor: The Dark World, A young servent named Sigyn accidentally sees Loki alive. Loki chooses to use this to his advantage. However, after unexpected events, they suddenly find themselves having feelings for each other, much to their reluctance.
1. Chapter 1

"No... Thank you."

Sigyn nearly tripped over her own feet at those words. Fear struck her hard, like she had been slapped across the face by the back of a hand. The apples she had been carrying fell to the ground.

_"What? No, it can't be. It's impossible. He's... Dead._"

Bending on one knee, she slowly started putting the apples back inside the basket. Thoughts raced through her head to reason why she heard the voice.

"_Maybe it was someone who sounded just like him. Maybe since it was so faint it could have been something completely nothing at all. Or maybe I've been working too hard and need sleep." _

She continued coming up with excuses so that she wouldn't be frightened. When she had just finished picking up the apples, she realized someone was walking near her. She hadn't even realized someone was passing by. She glanced up to see the prince, looking very happy as he walked down the corridors. Sigyn stood up quickly and bowed just before he crossed her path.

"Good day, your highness." She said respectfully.

He stopped and bowed back. "Good morning, good maiden! I wish you well on your journeys today!" He beamed.

He continued walking through the halls towards the front of the palace. He was in a surprisingly good mood today. She picked up her basket, somewhat flustered by such a joyous greeting from the _prince_. The legendary warrior who has saved countless lives out of the goodness of his heart. Oh how she wished she could know him better... Her happiness came to a halt when she heard shuffling in the throne room, and she remembered the voice. She glanced toward the direction of the throne room. Sigyn had always been a much too curious person. As a child she would run into sacred places in the palace because she wanted to know what was in them, and why no one talked about them. Even as the adult she is today, she was still getting in trouble for getting into things and doing things that she wasn't supposed to.

She suppressed the sense of curiosity until it hurt. She shouldn't go in there. It just feels like something bad will happen. Her face twisted into a frown. She set the basket down. She couldn't help it. Maybe just a glance. By the time she had walked through the enormous doors to the throne room, she had all but convinced herself that the voice was her wild imagination. She felt her heart stop when she saw the back of a figure walking behind the throne. Her breath caught in her throat. She made no sound, pleading that they wouldn't notice her. The form halted. She stood, paralyzed, in her place. Terrified that the person on the other side of the hall was who she thought they were. She was shaking so badly that she was convinced that they could hear it. The head of the form turned slightly. The huge doors behind her slammed shut so quickly she jumped and made a small sound of terror.

She turned around for a quick second, glanced at the doors, and immediately gave up hope that she had any chance at opening them. As soon as she turned her head back she saw him. He was directly her. Sigyn screamed and fell to the floor. She flinched and waited for the worst. Waiting for all the rumors to come true. Waiting to be tortured until he was entertained enough. Waiting to be slowly skinned alive. Waiting to feel the burns that came with fire. Waiting for her life to end as she knew it. But they never came.

Instead two hands lifted her off the ground, gently. She froze. Feeling more terror than she thought that she could ever feel. Once she was on her feet, she was looking him in the face again.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." He said, calmly.

"L-Loki? But y-you're... Dead" Sigyn stuttered. She was able to breath slightly, now somewhat interested on how he's standing in this room, and not buried in the earth of another realm. He grinned.

"That's right. I am dead. And I'd like to keep it that way, understand?" His sudden change in attitude blew away any curiosity she had left and replaced it with ice.

"I'm not even king for five minutes and I'm seen by someone." In an impressed tone, but his face was starcastic. "That takes quite some talent, sneaking up on me. Tell me, what is your name?"

She reached desperately for breath, but she couldn't hold down any air. Loki tapped his scepter in his hands impatiently. She forced sound to come out of her mouth.

"Sigyn."

"My dear, dear Sigyn. This is actually quite a convenience for me. You're the only one who knows I'm alive. And it would be nice to have an errand girl. I will call for you when I need you. Which shouldn't be very often. Do you understand?"

Sigyn nodded quickly.

"Good. I appreciate your cooperation. Now go." The doors opened. But she continued to stare at him, in a bewildered state. He raised an eyebrow at her. She bowed quickly and tried to walk out of the room as slowly as she could. The sound of quiet laughter came just before the door closed.


	2. Chapter 2

Two months passed without anything happening. The longer Sigyn waited, the worse the pit in her stomach felt. Preparing herself for "Odin's" sudden change in his rule. Suspense constantly scratching the back of her head. People frequently asked Sigyn if she wasn't feeling well, because she was easily frightened. If someone were to simply call her name, she would jump.

It began to get in the way of her servant duties. She would keep glancing behind her and stare at a single spot for long periods of time, her face brimming with anxiety. She didn't talk as much as she used to, for fear she would reveal the secret on accident. Eventually she was tasked with the simple duty of buying food for everyone, because she couldn't handle being in the Palace for very long. No one understood why.

A few more weeks went by. One day a terrified servant screamed that he had searched everywhere and that Odin was missing from the Palace. A widespread panic of what could have happened to him started. No one could understand why Sigyn didn't react.

Prince Thor came back with Lady Jane from Midgard to take over the throne until we found Odin. Once Thor had settled everything back down to normal, people seemed to stop worrying completely. It was as if they had completely forgotten Odin was missing. While everyone celebrated Thor's return and his prosperous rule, Sigyn remained quiet, but utterly confused.

"_Why did he suddenly disappear? Had someone else found out about him? Is he pretending to be Thor? What reason could he possibly have for suddenly leaving? Did the real Odin find him? Was the real Odin dead?"_ She frequently had these thoughts for weeks.

About three months after her encounter, she was returning to the Palace from the market. She was about to walk through the gates, when a guard stopped her.

"You, Prince Thor requests your presence." He said bluntly. Sigyn was taken aback by this.

"Wh- why?" She asked nervously.

"He hasn't specified." The guard gestured to follow him. She put down her basket of food behind a bush near the gate and followed him. They walked in silence towards the grove of trees. Sigyn began to panic.

_"What if he's not really leading me to Thor. What if he tries to capture me? Or worse, what if he's taking me to Loki? Am I going to be killed by him because he realized he didn't need me? Is he going to make me do something horrifying? Is he going to threaten me? What if-"_ The guard grabbed her and slammed her against a tree. He covered her mouth and put a finger to his lips. She struggled underneath his strength, squirming to get away, trying not to faint from her fear. But he still held her still.

Suddenly, the guard started to glow green. Sigyn's eyes widened as the guard slowly morphed into Loki, looking annoyed as as he shushed her. She stopped moving and screaming. He smirked and slowly let go of her. Sigyn remained still, watching him.

"Good. Now that you've finally calmed down I can-"

"What the _hel_ are you doing?! Why did you restrain me and bring me here!? Why couldn't you have just sent me a message to meet you instead of physically forcing me?! _Why shouldn't I just turn you in now?!_ _What do you __**want!?**_**"** Her voice echoed through the trees. The sound of guards shouting came from the distance.

_"Did you hear that too?"_

_"Yeah, let's go check it out."_ She heard them say, followed by quick footsteps. Loki growled at her as he transformed back into a guard. His face instantly changed from annoyance to flirtatious. He leaned against the tree, uncomfortably close to Sigyn.

"I think you know _exactly_ what I want." He said in his disguised voice. The sound of footsteps were coming closer. For a moment she was completely confused. Then she realized what he was doing.

_"Does he honestly expect me to play along? I should just scream louder and turn him in. But... wait... What if he'll kill me and run? What if he'll kill me, run, and kill my family? What if he grabs me, runs away, and torture me? I can't just run..." _

Through her fear and confusion she forced herself to giggle and look away shyly. She glanced towards the guards. They were watching with stern faces. Loki must have seen this too, and knew that it wouldn't be enough, because he suddenly turned her around and kissed her.

Shock slammed into Sigyn at this sudden move. She never thought he would go that far. In her brief moment of haze, she remembered that it was an act. She wrapped her arms around him, forcing her way through the agony of the situation. The Guards waved them off and walked away. After a few seconds for security, Loki pushed her away, fell back against a tree, and morphed back into his real form, his face in his hands.

"Was screaming _necessary_? You almost revealed my existence!" He sighed. 'Although I supposed you're not _that_ much of an idiot. You did play along." Sigyn's face turned into an even deeper red than before.

"What did you expect me to do? You basically captured me! I received no warning whatsoever, of course I would react like that." She remembered speak quietly, a repeat would definitely be bad for everyone. Loki leaned his back against the tree and folded his arms.

"I suppose someone like you would react like that." He said, standing up straight. "Now, the reason I called you."

_"Called me?!"_ Sigyn tried to stay calm, but she was still flustered.

Loki paused. His face slowly changed from angered to almost a troubled, confused state. He held his head, as if he were having a headache. Sigyn was surprised by this sudden change. She expected him to bark out his answer to her in a menacing, intimidating way. But he looked as if he was struggling to speak.

"I... Need... Food." He forced out. Sigyn's sense of curiosity suddenly came back.

"_Why is he so embarrassed? He's acting as if hunger were a pathetic weakness. Why ask me for such a simple task?"_

"What? Why don't you just disguise yourself and-"

"Because it's _exhausting_ to do for long periods of time. I'd like to see you do it for more than a day." He exasperated. Now that Sigyn could look at him closely, she noticed how bad he looked. He tried to hide the fact that he was still breathing heavily. He was also much paler and thinner than when she last saw him. He had dark circles under his eyes.

_"I suppose that's the reason 'Odin' disappeared."_ She realized.

"But... I thought you were raised a god... How could you be so tired-"

"_Don't_ talk about how I was raised." He snapped at her. The interruption reminded Sigyn who she was talking to. Her face suddenly humbled. Loki sighed.

"Please... Just go." He turned around and didn't say anything after that. Sigyn gave up trying to ask questions and walked towards The Palace. She remembered the basket of food she had been carrying earlier.

_"Well… I suppose since I paid for it with my own money, it's not stealing"_ She reasoned with herself. Once she had gotten to the front gates, she checked behind the bush she put the basket behind. It was still there. She picked it up and headed back towards the grove. As she walked, her overwhelming sense of curiosity came over her again.

"_If Loki were truly evil… Why would he help Thor fight Malekith? He could have easily killed him if he had wanted to… And how could he have a sudden change of heart after destroying an entire city on Midgard and almost eliminating Jotunheim? Was helping Thor a part of his plan to take over Odin?"_ She sighed. _"I just think too much."_

The grove was in her sight. She looked at the tree they had been at. Loki was still there, but he looked sick. Not bothering to hide anything while she had left. He was leaning against the tree again. Not in a casual way, but for support. His head hung low. Sigyn began to wonder how long he had actually gone without having any necessary provisions. Without thinking, she purposely broke a branch to let him know she was approaching. Saving him more embarrassment. His head snapped up and he stood straight. Sigyn was appalled by her action. Why did she care about how he felt?

_"Well, I am an empathetic person..."_

She arrived at the tree. Loki snatched the basket out of her hands and stared at it for a few seconds.

"Meet me here again in exactly three months." He said, not making eye contact. Sigyn was irritated that he gave her another order instead of expressing gratitude. He turned around and started walking towards the grove. Mid-stride, he paused.

"... What was your name again?" He asked what was supposed to be an intimidating way.

"Sigyn?"

"Ah yes... Sigyn..." Without another word, Loki disappeared into the grove.


	3. Chapter 3

Three months have never felt so long to Sigyn. Yes, she dreaded meeting the most wanted criminal in Asgard. But her nagging curiosity wanted to know why he would need her in exactly three months. She constantly pondered how he could be as awful as they all say.

_"Sure, he's rude, proud, and only cares about himself. But I can't see him committing __**genocide**__. Yes, he may be a bad person. But he doesn't seem like a murderer. Were they all just lies made up to exaggerate the truth, and make him feared and despised by Asgard?"_ She shook off the thought of the king lying to everyone. He was a good, gentle ruler. The only time anything bad happened under his reign was when Malekith attacked, and it was because we thought he was dead.

Sigyn tried to distract herself by doing more servant duties then were required of her, exhausting herself would take her mind off the thought that she definitely didn't care about a horrifying, relentless, evil, feared criminal. It was just her damned curiosity. She worked so hard that Her family was concerned about why she was acting so compulsively.

"Sigyn, please talk to me. I want to know what's wrong so I can help you." Her mother kneeled next to her as she scrubbed the floors. Sigyn didn't answer. She tucked a stray piece of long, black hair behind her ear.

"Look, I'm not going to stop asking." Her mother said, sternly. "Your brother and father are worried about you too. You're being selfish by refusing to answer and causing us to be so concerned for you."

Sigyn sighed and sat up straight.

She would just make something up.

"Okay mother... I... There's someone..." Sigyn's mother suddenly gasped and clasped her hands together in excitement.

"Oh my! You've found someone haven't you!? You poor girl, you're distracting yourself aren't you? It's perfectly fine, darling. Who is he? I want to meet him!" Sigyn panicked, attempting to stutter out an acceptable answer.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry. It's still a little early, isn't it? Well, please don't work too hard, or you'll hurt yourself."

Sigyn's mother stood up and walked back towards the small houses outside of the palace where all of the other servants lived. But not before reminding Sigyn what time dinner is. She half nodded. Hoping her family would never have the opportunity to meet "him".

* * *

It had been exactly three months since they had last met. Sigyn became more and more nervous with every step she took, trying convincing herself that everything would be okay.

She arrived at the grove and tried to find the tree they met at. Once she was almost certain she had found it, she waited. Full of anxiety, for what felt like five hours, she waited. She suddenly felt movement behind her. She turned around quickly to find Loki, looking bored, as if he himself had been waiting. Sigyn instantly was irritated.

"What took you so long?! I've been waiting here for hours!" She huffed. Loki laughed slightly.

"I've been here this whole time." He gestured around the area he was standing in. "I've just been waiting for you to notice I was here."

Sigyn sighed in defeat, knowing getting angry would get her nowhere.

"You're incredibly hilarious. Now what did you want from me again?" She asked, rolling her eyes. Loki smirked, amused by her starcasm.

"I need my daggers."

Sigyn almost felt offended.

"How idiotic do you think I am? You honestly expect me to just hand you weapons?"

"No, I dont." His trademark mischievous smile appeared on his face. Sigyn wanted to throw her fist at him.

"I simply need them to hunt and survive in this wilderness." He said, not even attempting to sound like he was trying to convince her.

"And I'm supposed to believe you, whom everybody refers to as 'The God of Lies', because you think I'm weak enough to give into your will and do whatever you tell me to do? I'd rather lose a hand then give you the ability to easily kill someone." She stated, folding her arms.

"You know, if I wanted to kill someone, I wouldn't need my daggers." He said, too casually. "I could do it with my bare hands if I wanted to. Do you believe me, or do I need to show you?" Sigyn shook her head quickly, silenced by his first actual threat to her. Even though he would have probably killed an animal, excessive amounts of blood make her sick. She fidgeted her hands, defeated.

"_He's more than capable to have killed anyone he wanted to by now... Maybe he is telling the truth."_ She thought to herself.

"Well... How do you expect me to get them? I can't just walk into the weapons hall and take them!" Sigyn fumed. Loki suddenly had a curious look to his face.

"Why are you so tired? The last time I saw you, you were much more energetic." He said, with actual interest in his voice. Sigyn sighed.

"I've been working harder than usual lately. I'm not getting much sleep and I suppose the stress-"

"You worried about me."

Sigyn's head snapped up to look at his much too satisfied face. She had no idea why she had been so concerned about him this whole time. He was foolish, immature, spoiled brat.

She turned around and walked back towards the castle.

"Where are you going?" He called after her.

_"To get your damned knives!"_ She yelled back, not caring if anyone heard her.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to get into the weapons hall. What with her being an innocent, defenceless, small girl, who would never want to go in such a dangerous place. Thus, it was simple to make a distraction. Sigyn had made it to the entrance of the weapons hall when she saw the two guards standing at their post. Hiding around the corner, she made her hair look realistically messy, tore off a large piece of her apron, smashed a red berry she had picked earlier on her cheek, and threw herself into the wall as hard as she could.

_"No! Get away! Stop! Please!"_ Sigyn cried as pitiful as possible, banging on the walls, trying to make as much noise as she could. Sure enough, the two guards turned the corner and saw Sigyn. She tried to cry as realistically as possible.

"What happened? Are you alright?" One of them asked calmly.

"Th- the- there was t-this man who-" She stuttered through sobs. The other guard nodded. "Where did he go?" Sigyn pointed a shaky finger in the opposite direction of the weapon hall.

"Okay, Martch, go and find Bard to guard the Weapon Hall. I last saw him near the throne room. Be quick, we can't leave the hall unguarded for long. I'll go after the attacker. Will you be okay here?" The first one asked. She nodded and whimpered.

"Very well, we won't be gone for long." Both guards ran in opposite directions

_"Finally."_ She wiped off the mush from her face and went inside the weapons hall.

_"The throne room... That means I have about three minutes."_ Sigyn thought to herself, scanning the different glass cases. She rushed through the room, passing swords, flails, spears, scepters, amulets, and things she didn't even recognize. When she finally arrived at the small knives section, she realize she had no clue what they looked like.

_"Well... What would royalty use?"_ She reasoned, trying not to think about how much time she had left. She Skipped the ones she knew belonged to simple knights and peasant folk. Her eye caught hold of a pair of daggers, with a golden hilt, and silver blade. Inscribed on the blade of each one was: _"Good Luck- Frigga." _

_"Frigga... I suppose these are his then."_ she opened the case, took both knives, made sure the glass closed tightly, and ran out of the Weapon Hall. She had just turned the corner, when someone stopped her.

"Are you alright? Why are you running? Was someone here?" The voice of the second guard from earlier said. Sigyn hurried and hid the knives in the pocket of her apron.

"Oh... Well... My mother, she's been expecting me back by now. I just wanted to let her know that I was alright." She gave the guard a kind look. "Thank you for helping me."

"It is our duty, young maiden." He said, returning to his post along with who was probably Bard. She curtsied and walked quickly back to the grove. When she was going down the steep hill in between the palace and her destination, a sudden, sharp pain came on her left arm, followed by warm liquid dripping down her hand.

One of the knives tore through her pocket and cut the arm she was using to support the weight of them. Surprisingly, they were so sharp, it didn't hurt nearly as much as she thought it would. But the sight of the blood made her feel lightheaded. Annoyed by yet _another_ delay, she tore another piece of her apron and tied it around her shallow cut. She decided it would be best if she just held the daggers in her hands the rest of the way.

Hoping Loki wasn't playing his hiding game again, she arrived at the tree where they met. He was still there, making green swirls in the air with his fingers.

"I got what you wanted." Sigyn said, a little too aggressively. With a wave of his hand, the green lights disappeared. He held out his hand in front of her, not even taking a look at her,as if she were his personal servant. She tried to pay attention to the annoyance of the small pain in her arm instead of Loki's smug face as he took them. He glanced at her and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Were you attacked?" He asked in what was supposed to be a casual way.

"No, I pretended to be attacked so I could-"

"No, not your hair or your face, you clearly did that on purpose. I'm talking about your arm."

"Oh." Sigyn looked down at the redding piece of cloth. "I accidentally cut myself with one of your daggers on the way here. It's not very deep at all and it doesn't-" She was interrupted by Loki dropping his daggers and suddenly grabbing her arm.

"Hey! Let go of me!" She shouted, attempting to release herself from his grasp. He shushed her harshly, and seemed to concentrate on her arm. Her wound started to glow green.

"What, are, you, _doing?!"_ She shrieked, struggling harder. He shushed her again, not having the least bit of trouble holding on to her. Sigyn decided it would be no use and became still, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for the worst. A few seconds passed, and he let go of her arm. She held it close to her.

"What was that for?!" Although she didn't feel a difference, he did something to her. And she assumed it wasn't good.

"You should be thanking me right now." Loki said as he picked up his knives from the ground. "I just saved your life. My daggers are enchanted. So that even if I graze an enemy, they still die. I'm the only one who can reverse the enchantment." Sigyn looked at her arm in bewilderment.

"Shouldn't you have told me that _before_ I went running with them?!" She said yelled, angered that he endangered her life without telling her.

"I knew that you were more than capable of handling it." He said, scanning over his daggers. "Plus on the off chance you did hurt yourself, I knew you'd come in time for me to reverse it. At the most it takes twenty minutes to take effect. Although... You're considerably smaller than enemies I usually fight. I suppose I should have taken that into consideration. But, you're fine. So everything worked out for both of us." His tone was as if he were talking about how his day went.

Sigyn gave up on expecting anything decent to come from him. She had just started to walk away, when Loki stopped her.

"Hold on, I'm not finished yet." He said, almost musically. She turned on her heel and made the most sarcastic smile she could.

"What do you need, your highness?" Her voice oozed with mockery. Loki laughed, surprised at how easily he could irritate her.

"I need you back here in a month." He stated. "I'm not sure when I'll be able to meet you here, so just come in the afternoon and wait here until I show up. I shouldn't take long." Sigyn held her head in her hands. Not sure why she even tried to understand anymore.

"Why do you need me here? Do you need me to go get something again? Why can't I just do it now instead of in a month?"

"No, I don't need you to get anything." Said Loki, annoyed that he had to explain. "I just need you _here_."

"Why? Why do I just need to be here?" She whined. "Why are you only calling for me every couple of months instead of just getting everything done all at once? Why aren't you telling me anything? Why are you not torturing me to get what you want? Why did you help Thor after trying to destroy Midgard? _Why?!"_ Although he attempted to not show it, shock appeared momentarily on his face.

"Why would you care about knowing any of that?" He half laughed. "Don't you have servent things to do?"

"Because if I'm going to have to live in suspense for the rest of my life, not knowing what law I'm going to break next, not knowing if it's the day you don't need me anymore, killing me to dispose of any evidence, hoping I'm not commanded to kill, worrying about my family day and night, I _deserve_ to know!" Sigyn ranted. This time Loki didn't even try to hide his shock. He was momentarily speechless. Sigyn herself was surprised that something she said had actually gotten to him. His attitude changed from proud, to humble. His face showed genuine kindness.

"I'm sorry Sigyn. I had no idea how much this affected your life. After our next meeting, I will let you go. And I give you my word, I will never hurt you, or your family." Loki promised.

Sigyn stood in a state of disbelief, wondering how simply mentioning her family could make him change completely.

"I... Thank you." She managed to say. "But... Why suddenly let me go? You won't need me anymore?"

"All in good time darling, all in good time."


	4. Chapter 4

Sigyn somehow was comforted by Loki's promise. Her worrying stopped. And, aside from the occasional forced lie, she was almost normal again.

A month passed quickly for Sigyn. She was finally able to enjoy herself with her family and friends without feeling like she was exposed to the world. Though she felt peace, the question of what would happen when she went back to the grove still nagged at her.

The time had come for her to meet Loki at the tree they usually met at. The excuse she told her family was that she had been asked by her "Someone" to spend a day or two with him. Sigyn's mother gleefully granted permission. Meanwhile her older brother reminded her about his skill with spears, just in case she needed it.

* * *

Sigyn arrived at the tree in the late afternoon. She remembered that Loki said he wasn't sure when he would show up, so she sat on the ground and waited.

A few hours went by, and the afternoon turned into evening. Sigyn kept reminding herself that, for some reason, he would take a while. So she entertained herself by snapping sticks in half and feeding berries from bushes to animals that came near. Little birds played with each other and sang songs together in the trees. The nature brought a sense of peace to her.

A few more hours went by. The sky had gone completely dark, illuminated by the stars and other planets in the realm of Asgard. The grove became alive with the sound of insects and animals who only came out in the dark. Sigyn really started to worry. Not as much about her own safety as the suspense of what was going to happen. Waiting for hours and hours made her slightly groggy, which only enhanced her emotions.

She knew that going in the grove and looking for him would be a really bad idea. People very easily got lost in there if they didn't know the grove by heart. Not to mention it was night time. And he was probably doing something dangerous in there.

_"I don't know how much longer I should keep waiting."_ She thought to herself. _"What if he thought it was tomorrow instead of today? It's the middle of the night now. Why would he tell me to come in the afternoon if he would just keep me waiting for hours on end? Well, he did play that ridiculous trick where he hid himself until I could find him. Although... He seemed much more serious about this meeting than any of the others. What if he had come earlier and I missed him?" _

Sigyn hadn't even noticed that she had started pacing. She always started pacing when she was trying to figure something out. She never understood why. When her legs began to get tired, she decided to climb a tree and see if she could find something. Just before taken hold of the first branch, birds started to frantically fly away. Sigyn stopped moving and listened closely. She heard footsteps. But not steady, consistent footsteps. They sounded as if someone was limping. No... Not limping. Dragging. They sounded as if someone were dragging themselves with enormous effort. Sigyn's heart pounded so hard it hurt her chest. They were getting closer. She stood, her feet stuck to the ground, waiting to see what would come out from behind the trees. A figure came into sight.

It was Loki. He had a massive wound that extended from his right shoulder down the the left side of his waist. He hung his head, falling on trees for support, weakly holding his waist and coughing.

Sigyn gasped so loud that it echoed all the way through the grove and scared more of the animals away. She felt extremely dizzy because of the extensive amounts of blood that dripped down and soaked his arm. Her legs shook until she couldn't feel them anymore. Loki noticed her and held up his head. His face turned from struggle to huge relief.

"Sigyn." His voice forced out. His strength collapsed and he plummeted to the ground.

Sigyn sprinted over to him, kneeling next to his shaking body.

"Are you faking this?! Loki, _please tell me if you're faking this!_" She absolutely hated to ask, but she had to make sure. He shook his head as much as he could.

"Okay..." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to get a healer. Will you be able to stay-" Loki's hand suddenly shot up and clutched her arm.

"... No... I'll be... seen." He coughed harder. his words were pained.

_"Well would you rather live and stay in prison for life or die?!"_ She yelled. Sigyn couldn't believe he actually didn't want to be healed.

"... You do it."

"What?! But..." Tears fell down her face as she tried to talk while she cried. "I'm not a healer... I'd have to do it manually. I'm not even sure I can do it manually. Plus you'd be in even more pain..." He grabbed her arm tighter. Sigyn was surprised he hadn't broken it. She sobbed once or twice.

"... Okay. Okay. I'm going to get the medical supplies I have for emergencies. I'll go as fast as I can. Please... don't die while I'm gone." He let go of her and his arm fell to the ground. She stood up and ran as fast as she could to her village.

**Author's Note: Sorry to leave at a cliffhanger like this. I need to do more school. Also, thank you guys for your kind words! They mean a lot to me. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Sigyn arrived to her small house, hoping that her family was still in the palace so she wouldn't have to explain why she grabbed the medical box and sprinted back out the door. Luckily, they weren't there. So she ran back to the grove. Although, her fear made it feel like she was walking.

Praying with all of her might that he didn't die while she was gone, Sigyn approached where he collapsed. He was still there. Still alive. But only barely. He was deathly pale, lying in a pool of his own blood and shaking badly. She sat down next to him and opened the box. The sight of the different tools inside only heightened her panicking. She had never thought she would actually have to use these. Sigyn closed her eyes, took a deep, shaky breath, and picked up the scissors with her trembling hands.

Loki didn't move much. He simply stared directly above him, focusing on fighting the pain. Sigyn picked up the torn clothing from around his wound and started cutting it off. It was slightly difficult, because the clothing stuck to his skin from the blood. She tried to be gentle and move as fast as she could. Once enough had been removed, she picked up the bottle of cleaning solution. Her mother used to put this on the small cuts and scrapes she used to have. She remembered how much it stung with simply a small laceration. Sigyn opened the lid, not knowing what to expect.

"This... Will hurt." She said quietly. Loki didn't move at all. He kept looking at the sky above him. Sigyn held her breath as she poured a little bit on his wound. He half groaned, half growled loudly. Squeezing his eyes shut. Sigyn quickly put down the bottle and started crying again.

"I c-can't do this. I'm going to get someone." She attempted to stand up, but he grabbed her arm again.

"No!" He cried out, before becoming silent again.

"... Please." He said quietly. His tone was clear. He wasn't commanding her, he was asking her. Asking her to stay, asking her to save him.

He suddenly coughed up blood violently. Sigyn almost fainted, completely unsettled by the excessive amounts of blood. She held her face in her hands, gaining the strength she needed to continue. He would die if she didn't do anything. She kneeled next to him and picked up the bottle again, feeling extremely nauseated.

"Okay... I'll try." She whispered. "Cleaning it all at once would just send you deeper into shock, so I'm going to clean it slowly."

Sigyn tried to block it out. She tried to ignore his cries of agony. She tried to not look at his face, terrified of what she would see. She focused everything she had on her trembling hands, praying to every celestial being for strength. In what felt like an eternity, she had finally finished. Sigyn dropped the bottle and never wanted to pick it up again.

"Okay... Now I need to sew it shut." She said, mostly talking to herself. If Loki had been pale before, it was so much worse now. He actually looked like he was scared, his still eyes were filled with fear. Sigyn tried to remind herself that the worst part was over, but she didn't feel any relief.

Putting thread through the needle, she realized this would be the first time she would come in contact with his blood. She forced herself through her dizziness and started working. Sigyn was incredibly grateful that she received no reaction from him, making it much easier for her to work. She was so busy concentrating on not fainting, the needle kept slipping in her hands from the blood, almost worsening his injury. Eventually she finally finished, cutting the thread off with her teeth.

"Okay, I need you to sit up as much as you can." She said, unraveling bandages. He raised from the ground weakly. She wrapped the bandages around his wound. Neither of them spoke. She tied the bandage and he was finally done.

"I need to take you somewhere where you can rest. I could bring you to my village, but the closest way would be to go past the front of the palace. You would be seen and captured. The only other way would be to go around behind the palace, but it takes twice as long and we still run a small risk of being caught." Loki's face twisted into a concentrated state.

"We'll go around." He said, clearly not looking forward to the struggle. Helped him stand up, trying to be as gentle as she possibly could. She was shorter and much smaller than him, but she decided to help support his weight anyway. She slung his arm around her shoulder and gave him an "Are you ready?" Look. He responded by walking forward, trying to avoid talking.

They walked, slowly, around the back of the palace. Sigyn could tell he was trying to keep as much weight off of her as he could. She didn't know why he made this attempt at a kind gesture. He had just been mutilated for Odin's sake. Despite his efforts, he constantly ended up stumbling and stopping to catch his breath. She herself was feeling a little winded.

About halfway around, Sigyn heard footsteps coming near. She started panicking, trying to figure out what to do.

"Loki... Are you able to disguise yourself for a moment?" She felt like she was asking him to carry a building. He stopped walking, closed his eyes and focused. He started to glow green, slowly transforming into his guard form. Not a moment too soon, another guard came around the corner. He looked at Sigyn and Loki, almost suspiciously.

"What's wrong with him?" The guard asked, pointing. Sigyn thought as quickly as she could. She forced herself to smile weakly.

"Oh. He just drank a little bit too much tonight. I'm taking him home now." She said, worried that the shaking in her voice would give something away. The guard laughed.

"Do you need any help?" He asked. Loki started getting heavier.

"Oh, no. But thank you for the offer!" She said, trying to sound as grateful as possible. The guard waved her off and rounded the other corner. Sigyn looked around to see if anyone was there.

"Okay, we're safe." She whispered. He snapped back into his original form, gasping and sweating. It clearly had been extremely tiring and painful. She held him steady as he recovered.

"Okay... Let's keep moving." She said, reassuringly. They walked again, slower than before. Sigyn tried not to think of what would happen if another guard showed up. She focused on supporting his increasingly heavy weight and walking forward. In what seemed like years, she saw the flicker of lights from her village. She silently rejoiced at their arrival. Finally feeling like everything might turn out okay.

**Author's note: Sorry this took a long time. I had school and writer's block. Also, sorry it's kinda short. But yeah.**


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Sigyn had walked through the threshold of her home, her legs had all but caved in. She could feel the fear leave her as she was engulfed by the welcoming atmosphere of the place she was so familiar with. Still, they had both walked for so long under so much stress, it was a miracle that they were still standing, let alone walking. Sigyn and Loki persevered through their last strides as they headed toward her bedroom. They both were extremely relieved when she placed him on the bed in her small living space. But Sigyn remembered that her family would be home very soon. They normally respected her privacy, but there was still a big chance that they could see him, and it would be very hard to explain that her supposed "Special Someone" was the Traitor of Asgard.

She needed to think of a cover up in case they saw him. She sighed as she picked up the spark rocks beside her hearth.

"It's not what you're used to, I know, but I'll try my best to make it acceptable." Sigyn said, as she tried start a fire. Loki was silent, still recovering. After a few minutes she gave up. The rocks were old and worn out, it would be impossible to generate heat from them. She dropped them on the ground in defeat, and started walking toward the door.

"I'll be right back." She mumbled, stepping out of her room. She gasped a little too loudly when she found that her family was back, about to go to sleep. She slammed the door behind her quickly. Sigyn's older brother, Ragmore, turned and spotted her with his sleepy eyes.

"Sigyn." He yawned. "Why are you here? Didn't you say you would be gone for-" He stopped in his tracks as his eyes began to focus more clearly.

"Is that _blood?_" He asked, shocked. Sigyn looked down at her apron and widened her eyes. Then she saw her bloodstained hands. In a hurry, she spoke the first thing that came to mind.

"Oh! Well... He... Um... B-Bard was teaching me how to hunt and skin animals." She said, gesturing to her apron. "While he was helping me, he accidentally cut his hand and had to go see a healer, so I had to come home. But he's alright. I'll visit him tomorrow" Sigyn tried to hide her flinch, she just realized she had used the name of one of the guards in the palace she had met when stealing Loki's knives. Across the room, Sigyn's father laughed in approval.

"A man who teaches you how to survive instead of telling you to shine his shoes. _That's_ someone worthy of my daughter." He said, beaming. Sigyn attempted to laugh normally, but it came out as a squeak.

"Sigyn, you look terribly exhausted." Her mother said, touching her dirt covered face. "You should sleep, you've probably had quite the adventure today, haven't you?" She smiled at Sigyn, clearly proud of her newly grown up daughter. The sight of it put a pain in her chest.

"You have no idea, mother. Anyway, I need to get new spark rocks for my bedroom." Sigyn said as she approached the cupboard. Before she could pick them up, Ragmore snached them before she could.

"Here, I'll start it." He offered, starting towards her bedroom door.

"_No!_" She shouted loudly. Ragmore gave her a confused look.

"I mean... There's a certain way I like to build my fires. It gives off more warmth and lasts longer." Sigyn took the rocks from him, giving him a kind smile. He looked at her with an "I will never be able to understand you" look.

"Alright. Whatever you want." He said, walking towards the kitchen. Sigyn moved back to her bedroom door, opened it just enough to fit in, and stepped inside. Loki was sitting up, he had obviously been listening.

"Have you been pretending I'm your lover? " He asked quietly, as to not let the others hear. He always had time to be amused, even when he was not so long ago on the verge of dying.

"Shut up. What would you have supposed I'd have said?" Sigyn snapped, having finally started a fire. She sighed and absorbed the warmth through her hands, the cold night air finally leaving her body. She heard Loki stand up.

"No, you need to lay-" before she could finish her sentence, he sat down next to her, slightly grunting in pain. Sigyn grit her teeth, irritated he never wanted to listen to anyone.

They sat in silence, staring at the flames devouring the wood. After a few minutes, Sigyn began to slightly drift off into sleep, forcing herself to open her eyes and stay awake. Her family outside the door had gone quiet, already asleep. Sigyn was snapped back into full consciousness when Loki finally spoke.

"Sigyn... Thank you." He whispered, his eyes fixed on the fire.

"Oh... Well you couldn't just stay in the grove alone injured like that. It was the least-"

"I'm not talking about just letting me stay here." He interrupted, looking her in the eyes. "I'm saying thank you for everything you've done for me. You've done everything I've ever asked of you. Everything. You saved my life. You persevered through your fears. You helped the most wanted criminal in Asgard. I threatened you and you still were loyal to me. I don't understand why you never left or why you always came back, the only other person who has ever done that for me was my Mother. Not even Thor or Odin. Thank you, Sigyn. I would have died long ago if it weren't for you."

Words completely failed Sigyn at this statement. She was bewildered to have received such thanks from the likes of him. She avoided eye contact in her slight embarrassment.

"...You're welcome, Loki." She said, very quietly. The response she received was the sudden shock when he hugged her. Loki held Sigyn as tight as he could in his current state of health. Sigyn's cheeks burned as she slowly returned the embrace. She was awestruck at the emotion this "heartless criminal" was displaying. This wasn't fake, it was genuine. His warm, strong arms wrapped around her, trying to translate his gratitude. She kept telling herself to stop feeling so shy. She shouldn't be feeling emotions toward this man, it wasn't right. Her thoughts were interrupted by Loki flinching. Sigyn immediately released her grasp before she could cause any further pain.

"Oh!.. I'm... sorry." She whispered. Loki looked at her kindly and took her hands in his.

"Sigyn... Everything will be alright. You've been through... so many things you shouldn't have had to go through. I promise I'll make it up to you." His hands were still slightly cold from losing blood and being in shock. Sigyn realized he must truly be the son of Odin to have even this much energy after so much blood loss and pain. Her cheeks burned harder. She was practically screaming at herself to stop feeling this way. It _wasn't right._ Every feeling of kindness she had ever had towards him_ wasn't right._ He was royalty. She was a servant. He was a criminal. She was a commons folk. Sigyn forced herself to get away from the situation. She let go of his hands.

"Thank you, Loki. You should probably sleep now. You need rest, that was a serious injury you had." He nodded.

"... I suppose you're right."

**Author's note: Sorry I was so lazy with this one. **


	7. Chapter 7

Sigyn decided it would be best if she brought her old bed back into her room, so that one of them wouldn't have to sleep on the ground. Before she left, she gave him some of Ragmore's clothes to change into. She couldn't just leave him in bloodsoaked, torn clothes. Plus his clothes were distinguishable to royalty. Ragmore was around his height and build, so she just hoped that it would work.

She left her bedroom and made her way to the storage area of her house. After searching through shovels, axes, rope, and behind shelves, She found the old cot behind rotting lumber. Thankfully, it wasn't heavy. She was able to drag it back to her room with minimal noise. Although she almost pushed a chair over by accident. As soon as Sigyn reached her door, she hesitated, grasping what she was actually doing. She was hiding a fugitive. Before, it would have only been her that would have gotten in trouble. Now her family could be charged with criminal intent as well. Her hand rested on the doorknob, debating on if she would really put her family in danger. She shivered, deciding she would deal with this after she slept.

Sigyn opened her door to find Loki sitting on her bed, in Ragmore's white shirt and brown trousers, staring at the fire intensely. Her breath caught in her throat, she had never seen him in anything less than his royal clothes. But now he looked like a commoner. She could focus more clearly at his face, not distracted by the reminder of his royalty. His soft, yet chiseled features outlined by the shadows cast by the fire, his emerald green eyes, the dark cascade of his hair. She almost became lost in his glare that radiated a thousand emotions at once. She could see the anger, fear, despair, regret, embarrassment, and the madness. It was all so captivating that she froze in her place.

He suddenly looked up and saw her standing at the doorway. He gave her a "What are you staring at me for" look. Sigyn cleared her throat and finished dragging the cot into her room.

"Alright, now you really should sleep. You need to if you're going to get any better." She grumbled, brushing off the cot.

"I'll sleep there." He stated, pointing at the cot on the floor. Sigyn sighed, not wanting to have this conversation.

"Listen, you almost died. You need to sleep on my bed while you're still severely injured. And don't tell me that I deserve to be in the bed that I sleep in every single night anyway. You're probably still in a lot of pain. You'll sleep there tonight and then I'll sleep there tomorrow, okay?" Loki looked a little surprised. He realized arguing with her would be no use, so her rolled over reluctantly and became quiet.

Sigyn's efforts, however, were pointless. She couldn't sleep for most of the night. She lay awake in her bed, marveling at the events that had unfolded that night. Pondering the terror and desperation she had felt. Wondering if it really happened at all. Every once in a while her eyes wandered to Loki She couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not. Although he was motionless and silent, she didn't know for sure. Then again, he seemed a little too still. She dragged through the silence, waiting to fall asleep, for morning to come, anything. The fire shrunk into embers, glowing through the darkness and illuminating the room. Shadows cast about everywhere, creating the appearance of mangled shapes against the walls. Just as she began to get drowsy, through her window she could see the first traces of light enter the sky, the insects quieted down, and she heard the first whistles of birds in the distance.

* * *

Sigyn saw the cage with iron bars in the distance, becoming larger. The more she walked away, the closer it became. She attempted to run, only to find her feet were buried in the ground. She didn't want to look at the cage, she didn't want to see who was inside. She felt something on her hands. She saw blood drip from them steadily, capturing her gaze as she watched it make a pattern on the grass. The iron cage was suddenly right in front of her, the person inside screaming for help. She sluggishly looked at who it was.

_"My father? No... Loki? ...Yes. It's him."_

It focused clearly now. Loki was clanging against the bars, screaming. Terror was in his eyes. Pure, concentrated, terror.

"_Sigyn! You need to run! Run now! Please go!_"

She reached slowly for one of the bars, grasping it. It crumbled in her hands. The whole cage dissolved away, and Loki disappeared. She looked around, searching.

_"Where did he go? Is he to the left? No. To the right? No. Behind-"_

A great force slammed into her, forcing out all of the air from her lungs. She slowly looked in front of her to see she had been impaled through the stomach with a sword. Her eyes widened as she looked up and saw Loki behind the hilt. His smile twisted by madness, his eyes spilled over with insanity, hungering. He twisted the sword violently. She suddenly felt pain, burning, pulsing, ripping, shredding pain. She shrieked as it tore through her, lashing out unceasingly. She fell to the ground, gasping. Laughs rang through the air as she started drowning in blood. Crimson washing away the world.

* * *

The next thing Sigyn knew, someone was pounding on her door. She shot up in bed, sweating and breathing heavily, shaken from the most vivid dream she had ever had. She looked at her bed, it was empty. She felt sick.

"Sigyn? You've slept in. You need to get up or you'll be in trouble at the palace." Her Father said from outside the door.

"Don't worry, Father. I'll be right out!" She called, jumping out of the bed. She scanned the room, looking to see if Loki had left a clue to where he went.

"_Loki!_" She hissed. No response. She groaned, storming out of the room. her eyes suddenly caught on an olive green leaf with on the exact center on Loki's pillow. It was placed so perfectly, it couldn't have just blown on it. She picked it up, and found a very small, golden "L" on the tip. She sighed in relief when she realized he was okay. Then she crumpled the leaf in her hand, angry that he didn't tell her that he was leaving, and that he was moving so much while he was still injured. She got dressed, bid her family goodbye, and headed to the grove.

**Author's Note: Sorry I was so lazy with this one too.**


	8. Chapter 8

**TRIGGAR WARNING: PTSD and sort of panic attack**

Sigyn didn't even realize how late she had actually slept in until she went outside. It was early afternoon by the time she had even left her house. She realized he might have not been sleeping at all, and then left when she fell asleep. He could have been gone for hours. She started to over think the situation and became nervous.

_"How long had he been gone? My family obviously didn't notice him... What if he's hurt again? What if he was caught? What if he's being imprisoned right now!? I have to find him. I'm not letting all of my efforts go to waste." O_f course, she tried to convince herself that was the only reason.

She decided to go to the palace gates first and ask one of the guards if anything unusual happened today.

"Why do you ask?" Questioned the guard, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh... Well, because I haven't seen Lady Jane in ages. Has there been any word about her? I'm curious." It was true. She hasn't been seen by anyone in months.

"I'm sorry, My Lady. But no word has come about Lady Jane."

"Ah, well, thank you anyway, Good Sir." She curtsied, relieved that he hadn't been caught. She had just started walking toward the grove when she realized that they could be keeping it quiet, so that they wouldn't cause a felt another wave of nervousness and tread onward. While she walked, she recollected the events that had happened the night before. Remembering that she had noticed his face for the first time. Remembering Loki's gratitude, his embrace, his genuinity, how she felt, the silence dividing them, her denial... And her dream. Sigyn's pace gradually slowed until she had come to a complete stop. The grove was within sight, but she felt as if a weight were holding her in her place. She felt nauseated, and suddenly found herself not wanting to continue to the grove. She fought an internal battle, between what was right, and what she wanted to be right.

Sigyn shook her head. Like it or not, she needed to confirm he was okay, and maybe scold him for being so impatient and risking himself further injury. That's all she needed to do. Feeling as if she were walking towards an enemy, she forced her legs forward.

Soon she had reached the grove, stopping at their tree. She scanned the area, he was nowhere to be found.

"Loki!" She called out, quietly. No answer. She groaned in frustration, putting her head in her hand. Sigyn's eyes caught an area on the ground that was covered in dry blood. Memories suddenly flashed before her eyes. Her heart and breathing quickened, feeling the panic she had felt that night. Her hands shook and her head clouded. The fear of blood she had suppressed the night before came flooding back to her. Tears rolled down her face as she remembered his cries of pain that she herself had caused. It became harder and harder to breath. She re-lived the moment again and again, becoming extremely light headed as she fell to her knees, terrified she would be stuck in this cycle forever.

"Sigyn?" A voice echoed. She broke down into heavy sobs at the sound of his voice. Her relief made emotions pour out of her. All of her fear, confusion, sadness and anger she had suppressed for almost a year came out in waterfalls of tears. She put her face in her shaking hands, overwhelmed. She suddenly felt someone kneel next to her.

"Sigyn! What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Came a voice, holding her shoulders. Sigyn looked up in her emotional state and slapped Loki across the face. He clearly wasn't hurt by it, but he was shocked at her actions. Sigyn realized what she had just done and immediately regretted it, recoiling her hand.

"What was that for?!" He asked, perplexed. He wasn't even angry that a commoner struck royalty, he was genuinely confused. Sigyn held her hand close to her and looked at the ground, embarrassed.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Loki. I wasn't thinking." She mumbled, glancing at him. She became startled by his sudden change in appearance. He had cut his hair to chin length. He was still wearing Ragmore's clothes. He had dirt smeared on one side of his face, as to make him look like a field worker or a servant. Besides the way his face looked, he had transformed himself to an ordinary peasant. He looked less and less like the murder of thousands, and more and more like a normal person. Without the outer appearance of his criminal self, Sigyn almost slapped her own face, beginning to lose her own war. Loki's face somewhat relaxed at her apology.

"It's okay. But are you hurt?" He asked, a little bit too concerned. She shook her head, clearing her face of any tears. Anger began boiling inside her as she looked at his all too innocent face.

"Do you have any idea how scared you made me?!" Sigyn exclaimed, standing up suddenly, followed by a very lost Loki. "You left me without telling me! I thought you had been captured! You could have made yourself worse! Are _you_ hurt?! Of course you're not!" She knew was taking her confliction out on Loki, but she didn't care. She was tired of concealing her feelings. His face filled with remorse.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you. But I didn't want to wake you." He said. Sigyn almost thought he might have been lying, that there might have been a different reason, but he was too hard to read. In her rampage, she was suddenly hit by a wave of dizziness from her re-opened emotional trauma. She stumbled and held her head, trying to regain her balance.

"Sigyn!" Came Loki's voice, sounding far away. In her struggle to remain steady, she tripped on a rock. Right before she hit the ground, however, Loki's extremely fast reflexes caught her.

As her head cleared up, she opened her eyes to see a very worried Loki, holding her as easily as if she were a doll. It was as if the universe was trying to break her innar strength. Sigyn climbed out of his arms and made sure to stand solidly on the ground.

"I'm fine. I just... Wanted to make sure you were okay." She squinted at him. "If you think you're going to get away with simply chopping your hair off, you're in for some bad luck." Loki looked as if he had been waiting for her to say that. He waved a hand over his face, and with a simple change of facial features, he proudly presented his new face. He was completely unrecognizable if you stood a little ways away from him. He even changed his eye color to a sapphire blue. Sigyn blinked for a moment, stunned by this simple, yet incredible transformation.

"But last night you couldn't do that for more than a minute without-"

"Ah yes, but smaller portions means less effort." He said cunningly, waving his hand over his disguise. He returned to his normal form, his sly smile remained. Sigyn stood, stunned. Remembering that he was, in fact, a god. He healed ten times faster than a normal person would. Unwanted disappointment shattered through her, realizing that she was the normal person. She began to feel sick again, and wanted an excuse to leave.

"I... I have servant duties to do. Give me a sign that you want to meet here again so I can keep making sure you're okay... and so that I can tell you if anything important happens inside the palace." She added quickly. He simply nodded, obviously not fooled.

"Sigyn, you do realize you're not under my command anymore. You came last night, and my vow was that you could be free if you did. You did more than I expected of you... In fact, _I'm_ the one in your debt."

Remembering his promise, Sigyn froze in her place. She didn't have to see him anymore if she didn't want to. She didn't need to wait for ages in suspense anymore. She could live her life without the fear of death upon herself and her family. She could be free. Instead of deciding to make him do something for herself, like she should have done, she simply sighed.

"Just... Don't get hurt again, okay?"


	9. Chapter 9

Sigyn began to see Loki more often after that. They never spoke, but every once in a while she would spot him in the middle of a crowd at the markets or working in the fields. Every time her eyes landed on him, her heart would skip a beat, her breath catching in her throat. She began to doubt her own morality when she was slowly losing her grip on herself, wondering if she was finally slipping into madness. After shoving her feelings back down her throat for so long, it seemed highly possible.

Even though Loki always disguised himself, she could tell it was him. Not only had she remembered the face he had shown her, but the way he carried himself was different from everyone else. He had always walked as if he were more important than everyone around him. While the humble commoners walked as if they were all equals, he was towering over people to show his dominance. He still moved in that manner, but more so than normal, as if he was worried his power was threatened.

Despite the obnoxious energy he exerted, Sigyn found herself hoping that she would be able to see him almost every day, even if they didn't speak. She was constantly looking around her to see if he was there, even when she was in a room by herself. Every once in a while while she was walking down a vacant hallway or through an open area in the village, she would see movement in the corner of her eye, something hiding in the shadows, only whipping her head around to find nothing.

On one occasion, Sigyn had been walking through the village square, making her way home with a bucket of water. Walking through the evening crowd of people on their way back to their homes, she spotted Loki helping a child carry firewood. He looked up from the child and his eyes caught her gaze, resulting at him winking playfully at her. She blushed furiously and walked faster.

After a few weeks of catching glances and attempting to avoid each other, Sigyn finally received a message from him. She had just gotten home from working a long, hard day. She was in her bedroom for only a moment, when she heard the sound of rushing wind behind her. She turned around, finding a small, swirling cloud of luminous green smoke next to her window. Instantly knowing the source, she approached it, extending her fingers carefully in an attempt to touch it. As soon as she made contact with the smoke, it was suddenly swallowed by the air, gone instantly. Even though it was a late evening after working all day, she decided to trudge through her exhaustion and see him.

After making up an excuse about seeing "Bard" for her family, they let her go, but only on the condition that they could meet him soon.

"He sounds so sweet... I must become acquainted with my daughter's future husband!" Her mother squealed. Sigyn laughed uneasily.

It was dark on the way to the grove. Twilight shown through the sky, creating an eerie feeling in the air. It felt somehow off to Sigyn. Though she didn't know why, something in her surroundings made her uncomfortable.

She reached the grove sooner than she normally did, realizing she must have been walking faster than she thought she had. Upon finding their tree, she waited for him to show himself. At this point, she wasn't foolish enough or in the mood to do his wild goose chase game. This time, _he_ was going to find _her_.

To her surprise, she finally didn't have to wait for him. Only a few moments had gone by when he stepped out from behind a tree. Sigyn had to hold her breath, this was the first time she had seen him up close for weeks. After only catching quick glances from far distances, she could look at him without having to see through his disguise.

He had gotten less thin and regained the color to his face, looking more healthy than Sigyn had ever seen him. His hair was messier than before, most likely from working. His clothes were streaked with mud and what could possibly be ash. His boots were caked with dirt, fading from the midday sun. She could now see him in his normal state, instead of his weak, sick one. If Sigyn had been any more tired than she was, she would have possibly given up and accept her foolish feelings. He not only looked like an average townsfolk, he was one. Not threatening everyone or tearing them to shreds with fear, but helping people, doing his share, and earning a living. She chewed on her cheek, trying everything she could think of to distract herself from speaking words that she would regret.

"I'm surprised you came here." He smirked. "I thought that you had wanted to shun me out of your life forever. Why did you come?" Sigyn was a little stunned at his question.

_"He's right... Why __**did**__ I come?"_

She rushed through her thoughts, trying to make up an answer.

"Well... Why did you call for me?"

"I honestly was just attempting long distance magic. I hadn't done it in a while, so I just wanted to see if I could still do it. What exactly did you see?"

Sigyn started laughing. This was the only time she's ever been able to tell that he was lying. It was almost like he wasn't even trying. Loki's face fell.

"Was it really that bad? I was trying to make a tree appear but..." He trailed off when Sigyn laughed harder, completely clueless to what she was so amused by.

"What?" He half laughed. Sigyn forced herself to calm down, wiping tears from her eyes, hoping that they were from laughing.

"I saw a cloud of smoke." She said, catching her breath. Loki sighed

"Yes... That is magic in it's most basic form. I suppose I should practice more. Although it's hard to find time when you're surrounded with hundreds of people every day. Honestly, how do you do it? It was hard enough having to be around a few servants..." At the mention of his royalty, Sigyn piped up when she remembered the news.

"Did you hear about Lady Jane? She's had a girl! We have a new princess!" She chimed. "She was born a week ago. Her name is Belle. A Midgardian name, I believe." Loki clenched his fists, an almost pained expression on his face.

"Yes, I heard... I'm very... Happy for them." The words were forced, he made a half smile, which ended up turning into a cringe. Sigyn was put off his reaction, expecting a joke or sarcasm. It was obvious that now wasn't the time to talk about this, she decided to change the subject.

"Uh... So how are you? With, you know." She motioned her finger across her chest where Loki had been wounded. Clearly grateful to talk about something else, his face lifted.

"You're an incredible seamstress, I've hardly even noticed that I was injured at all. Then again, I wouldn't expect less from you." Sigyn, irritated that his flirting worked on her, knew it would be impossible to hide the redness of her face, so she attempted to not notice the burning on her cheeks, acting as if nothing was happening. By his brief look of smugness, she could tell she had failed.

"Well, if that's all you wanted, I'll be heading back home now." She had just started to turn around when she heard him speak.

"I lied. Magic wasn't the only reason I called for you to come."

"Well, you couldn't have been less obvious about that." She remarked, spinning around to face him. He didn't respond, he was reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small bag and threw it at Sigyn. She barely caught it, sneering at him for not warning her that he was going to attack her with something this heavy. She didn't receive an exasperated sigh or an insult, instead he crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow, waiting for her to open it. Taken aback from his seriousness, she looked at the leather bag tied with string. By the small clinks that came from the bag when she moved it, Sigyn suddenly realized what he was doing.

"No." She said, handing it back to him. "I can't take your money. You've earned it. It's yours."

"And how much of your money have you spent on me? I've seen how you live and experienced what you do. This should get you through the next year or so." Sigyn's eyes widened as she quickly opened the bag and gasped. It was filled to the top with gold. This wouldn't get her through the next year or so, this would get her and her family through the next year or so.

"_Please_ tell me you didn't-"

"I didn't steal it. Magic has more advantages than you think. I can do three times the work of an ordinary person." Pride outlined Loki's words, bragging about how _wonderful_ he is. Sigyn clenched her teeth as she tied the bag closed.

"How about instead of giving me your money, you teach me how to do your _precious_ magic?" As soon as Sigyn said it, she regretted it. She had let her idioticy slip through her mouth. Furiously re-opening the bag, she pretended to count the money, not wanting to see his reaction, and not wanting him to see her face, even though she knew he wouldn't be fooled. She tightly held her lips closed, not wanting anything else to escape from them. For what seemed like forever, Sigyn heard only the steady clinking of coins. She wanted to apologize, to say she was joking, to run, to do something. She couldn't. She couldn't move from her spot. Her words failed her. Embarrassment was practically written all over her, the scilence carving them deeper into her flesh.

"Alright, When do you want to start?"

She dropped the bag and the coins scattered across the ground.

"Wh-What?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes as he knelt on the ground and picked up the coins

"_I said,_ when do you want to start?"


	10. Chapter 10

Next week they would meet at the grove, that was what they decided. Every week Loki would teach Sigyn what he knew.

"Of course, I've had a lifetime of experience. It's a long process, you have to gain strength gradually." He explained.

After refusing once again to take his money,

Sigyn gave in and kept it, hoping she could make up an excuse for her family. Once she regretfully accepted, Loki disappeared into the trees, leaving Sigyn to the sound of birds song and her quickened heartbeat. She left for home, trying her hardest to resist the impulse to look back. Alone, with her thoughts, she was once again filled to the brim with questions.

_"Why is he being so kind to me? If what they say is true about him, this is literally the last thing he would do. Giving me money, teaching me magic simply because I asked, praising my abilities... And not killing or torturing me like the ruthless monster they make him out to be. I know perfectly well that he could just be tricking me to trust him, so why am I falling-_" Sigyn shook her head furiously, refusing to even think of the sentence. It wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen. It _shouldn't_ happen.

Ever

* * *

Once again, Sigyn painfully lied to her family. Telling the story of how "Bard" got a handsome reward for helping one of the knights of Asgard, about how he wanted to help her less fortunate family. Of course, they were practically on their knees, begging to meet him. They rejoiced and celebrated for hours on end about not having to work for a year. Sigyn had to fake a smile for the millionth time, because when she saw her family's joy, she had to forcefully shove her feelings back down her throat

* * *

When the day of her first lesson arrived, she was unnerved, pondering if she really should learn magic. Magic makes you powerful, which can lead to wonderful or terrible things. The practice has been banned from commoners because of this. Too many people have tried to become in a higher position of power because their abilities had gotten to their heads. Although many had used it for good, too many people had gotten hurt from it. Because she saw magic corrupt the most innocent people she knew, Sigyn wasn't sure what she would do if she was able to do magic... She had no idea if she would use it for her own benefit or not.

Upon entering the grove, Sigyn found Loki standing next to the tree, staring at a small stone in his hand.

"The first thing you need to know about magic..." He said, not looking up. "Is that everyone has a bit of it in them. They just need to learn how to use it and expand it's power. Magic requires exact precision. And with enough discipline and patience..." Suddenly, he threw the stone in the air. The exact moment the stone had reached it's height and had started falling, he snapped his fingers, and the stone exploded into a red flower. He caught it with a flourish that was definitely him showing off.

"You can do almost anything you like." He leaned forward with a smug smile and handed her the flower. Sigyn took it shyly, recognizing the flower from her Midgardian studies in school... It was a rose. Thorns protruded from the stem, enhancing both it's beauty, and it's ability to harm you.

"_How appropriate._" She thought to herself, timidly feeling the velvet petals.

"Now then." She heard him say. Looking up from the rose, she remembered what she was really here for. She put the flower in her apron pocket, trying to forget about the gesture it had made.

"Shall we begin?"

Sigyn nodded, feeling butterflies in her stomach, hoping they were from nervousness.

He explained to her that the first step to doing magic, was to concentrate. Concentrate on finding it within her.

"The source is in two places, either your heart or your head. The way you find it, is if foreign magic comes in contact with it." He waved his hand, and it instantly glowed green. He extended his hand toward her, waiting for her to take hold of it. Sigyn hesitated, not knowing what would happen if she touched him. He gave her a "go on" look. She squeezed her eyes closed and grabbed his hand .

As soon as she wrapped her fingers around his, she felt as if she been hit by a boulder. A current of something almost electric flowed from her head to her chest and exploded throughout her entire being, throwing her to the ground and knocking the wind out of her. She gasped, feeling sparks run through her entire body. Loki dashed over, kneeled next to her, and lifted her head off of the ground.

"Sigyn! Are you hurt!? I had no idea something like that would happen! I'm so sorry, I-"

"I feel it in my head _and_ my heart." She whispered, trying to sit up on her own, but the current still flowed through her, sucking up her strength alarmingly quickly. She couldn't support her own weight. With her strength draining, she gave up and let him fully support her. Loki's face filled with concern and confusion as she grew colder.

"What? But the only person who's ever had that ability is... Me... And my mother." His eyes suddenly widened, glinting with fear.

"Sigyn, don't move." He said with an urgency that scared her. She tried to lay as still as she could, terrified of what could have made him react like that.

"Don't. Move." He repeated, placing two fingers on her head. "Listen, you can't have two power sources. You're not nearly strong enough. My mother and I could because we're gods. I need to make one dormant, or you'll... It won't be pleasant"

"_What?!_"

"_Don't. Move._" He warned once more. She couldn't really move anyway, so it wasn't a problem staying still. She held her breath, trying not to let tears escape. The connection between her head and her heart continued to wipe away any strength she had, making breathing hard and causing her to be on the brink of fainting. She watched through half lidded eyes as Loki concentrated. Even through her blurred vision, she could see that his face was determined... Yet frightened. He, one of the most powerful people in Asgard, was scared. He wasn't faking it, it was real. He was genuinely afraid that something would happen to her.

This, of course, didn't help. It only caused more panic to induce. She felt as if she were laying on ice, unable to gather herself to move at all. Her eyes closed and she prepared for the worst, waiting to implode into nothing, to stop breathing completely, for her lifeless hand to drop limp, for her family's faces when they heard of her alarmingly quick death, waiting for it to be over.

Instead, she felt as if everything went still. Her heart stopped pounding against her chest, gradually turning into a small flutter, and then stop forcing the life out of her completely.

When Sigyn opened her eyes, she was still in Loki's arms. The overpowering current of force that went through her was gone. He stared at her, waiting fretfully to see if she was in pain, if she was alive.

With the small amount of energy she could muster, she shot her arms up around him. She held him tight and cried. Sobbing into his neck, she was relieved that it was over, that she was alive, that he had saved her. She suddenly realized that his arms were around her too, holding her tightly, as if he refused to let her almost die again.

"I'm sorry." Came a small voice.

She couldn't do it anymore.

Sigyn was in love with the God of Mischief.

And she didn't care anymore.

Sigyn lifted her head enough to look at him. His expression spoke volumes. He looked at her like he had almost lost his own life, like he had just experienced true fear, like the thing he cared most about had nearly slipped out of his grasp.

"It's okay." She whispered, touching his cheek. She could barely raise her hand to make the gesture. She let her hand fall from exhaustion, completely void of energy. He suddenly pulled her close and kissed her.

It was a sweet, gentle kiss. The kind that was hesitant, yet soft. The kind that makes you shiver. The kind that lingered. The kind that leaves you in a daze. The kind that sparks a flame inside of you. Loki suddenly pulled away and looked at her sternly.

"_Don't_ scare me like that again." He said, picking her up from the ground. She managed a half smile before passing out completely.

**Author's note: This is my first time writing an actual romance scene. Was it okay? Was it too soon? Was everything too quick? I feel like it wasn't quite right somehow.**


	11. Chapter 11

The next thing Sigyn knew, she felt like she was being trampled by a herd of horses. Every time she took a breath, it was like needles exploded inside her. She forced her eyes open and found herself on a bed. A healer was reading a paper when he saw Sigyn wake up.

"Oh! You're awake. That's good." He put the paper down on a table next to her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fantast-"Her voice shredded against her throat, causing her to cough violently. Each time she coughed, it literally felt like someone had punched her as hard as they could. She wheezed and made a high pitched whining sound.

"Oh dear. Hold on." The healer said as he poured a golden liquid from a pitcher on the table into a cup. Each individual muscle contracted whenever she moved anything, making her to cry out in pain. The cycle repeated over and over. Tears streamed down her face as she desperately tried to fight it, her feeble attempts only made it worse.

When he turned to her bed, the healer lifted Sigyn's head from the pillow as carefully as he could. Her neck felt like it snapped in half. She shrieked as her head was stabbed again and again with swords that were on fire. She felt the cup at her lips and forced herself through her agony to swallow it. The liquid spread through her body, creating a cooling sensation. The pain she had felt everywhere quickly felt less than half as bad as it did before. The healer lay Sigyn's head back on the pillow.

"Thank you." She gasped through the incredible relief. Because of the miniature torture she had just went through, she hadn't heard the sound of arguing. A persistent, and a furious voice were right outside the door.

"I'm sorry, but you can't see her right now."

"Why was she screaming!? What's going on?! I have a _right_ to see her! I'm her !"

"Let them in." Sigyn said as loudly as she could without hurting, which was just barely a whisper. She could hear the sound of feet shuffling, followed by a loud, exasperated gasp.

"Sigyn! What happened to you!?" Her mother ran up to the side of the bed and touched her face. Her skin felt like ice against her own. "You've lost practically all of the color to your face! Do you have any idea how worried we were when you didn't come home last night?!" Her father and Ragmore quickly followed. Judging by their reactions, Sigyn guessed that she didn't look exactly like a goddess.

"Mother, I'm fi-." She winced mid sentence. It wasn't agonizing, but it was still painful. Her mother's expression became furious, but tears were brimming at her eyes.

"Sigyn, you can't even talk!" Ragmore spoke, stomping to the foot of the bed. "You're crying, you're in so much pain! Who did this to you?!" He was clearly trying to seek someone to take his anger out on for her. Before she could answer, someone else ran in. It took a second before she could recognize him, but she realized it was Loki, wearing his disguise. She tried to lift her head to talk to him, but she couldn't even take it off the pillow before her strength gave out. Ragmore noticed this small movement. He quickly glanced between her and Loki, raising an eyebrow.

"Sigyn! Are you alright?" Came Loki's artificial voice. "I heard shouting from outside the hall and-"

"Who are you!?" Her father growled at him. Loki glared at him, obviously feeling trying to explain was the least important thing to do in the current situation

"Hasn't she told you? Surely you've heard me about me."

"Are you Bard then?" Ragmore demanded. He probably assumed that "Bard" had something to do with all of this, because he looked like he wanted to strangle him.

"Yes. You see, I had told Sigyn that we would meet where we usually did, at the river. We were walking along the bank, when she slipped and fell..." His face sobered and he cleared his throat. Sigyn wasn't sure if he was trying to look sad, or if he was remembering what had happened. Probably both.

"... She fell a considerable distance onto a rock. I thought she might have actually..." He paused again, guilt and pain behind his eyes. This time he was definitely remembering what happened.

"But when I got to where she landed, she was still alive. I'm so sorry, I didn't take care of her like I should have." He flicked his eyes in her direction.

"Bard, it's okay." Sigyn cringed and squeezed her hand into a fist when she spoke quietly. "I shouldn't have walked that close to the water. _It's not your fault that I fell_." She put as much emphasis on the last sentence as she could without sounding suspicious. He looked anywhere except her, trying his hardest not to make eye contact.

"It's a miracle she didn't have any wounds." The healer intruded, picking up the paper and reading it again. "However, internally, she isn't so good. It seems that her heart took a blunt force to it. The impact must have focused on her chest, because her heart is barely able to circulate blood on it's own." Loki looked like he had been slapped. His eyes flickered green for a moment. Ragmore's glare could've murdered someone. Her mother cried and clung to her father, who just looked angry.

"But we can fix it." The healer continued, trying to calm things down. "Her heart will be weaker than it used to, but she'll be fine."

"How long will it take?!" Loki and Ragmore asked at the same time. With the look Ragmore gave him, she was surprised he didn't hiss.

"A few days." The healer stated. Relief spread across everyone's faces. Just as the air in the room had started to relax and the tension left everyone, Sigyn's heart suddenly pounded like a hammer against her chest, causing her to flinch and whimper. Everyone's eyes snapped back to her and anxiety swelled in the room again.

"I'm sorry, but she needs to rest now. I'm afraid you'll need to leave." The healer said quickly.

After a tearful goodbye from her mother, encouraging words from her father, and Ragmore's eyes throwing fiery darts at Loki, her family trudged out of the doorway. Loki lingered for few moments, obviously wanting to talk.

"Can we have a few more minutes… Alone?" he asked the healer. He rolled his eyes and sighed before he left. Loki's eyes followed him as he walked out of the room.

"I think your brother has already planned out how he's going to kill me." he said, still facing the doorway.

"Oh, he's as harmless as a d-dove." She stuttered through twinges in her throat. "...He'll be alr-right." When Loki turned around, his face wasn't in disguise anymore, but it was pale. Quietly, he walked next to her bed and leaned on the table.

"Sigyn, I am so... So sorry." He whispered, hanging his head. "I heard you in pain from the hall and... Damn it, what have I done to you?!" He turned towards her, horror etched into face.

"You've done what I've asked, that's what." Her voice cracked. "It was impossible to tell that would have happened. You saved my life. You brought me here. You did everything you could. That's what you've done." Loki tried to smile at her excuse for him.

"I don't know, I probably could have made the healer turn blue if I wanted to." He mumbled while brushing a lock of her hair on her forehead to the side. She smiled sheepishly, trying not to notice the feeling of glass shattering in her chest. She must not have hid it very well, because Loki's expression turned hostile too quickly to be safe. He stormed across the room, knocking over a vase on a shelf and letting it shatter on the floor. Once he got outside of the doorway, he paused, like he was pondering if he should tell her something. After a moment of silence, he slammed the door shut behind him without speaking a word.

This was the first time Sigyn saw Loki's legitimate anger.

And it scared her.

* * *

She didn't see him for the rest of the time she recovered. Her family, however, basically lived in her room. Her mother fussed over her constantly, forcing her to eat and sleep no matter how much she refused. Her father always followed her, trying to tell her to calm down and let the healers take care of Sigyn. This, of course, only made her more upset.

Ragmore was the one who talked to her when she was feeling too ill to speak. He told her stories about amusing things that happened while he worked in the village. About people who got caught slacking off and tried to make up ridiculous excuses for it. About children who tried to steal sweets from markets and were confronted while they were feeding them to stray dogs. About when a horse that was passing through got spooked by a bird screeching in it's ear, accidentally dragged it's rider along the ground.

Sigyn had always loved her brother, looking to him as her role model. When she was young, she would copy every single movement he made. Every muscle he flexed, every step he took, wanting to be just as incredible as she thought he was. He'd always pull on her hair until she cried in response to her mimicking. She always stood farther away from him before doing it again after that.

Ragmore was fiercely protective of his younger sister, making sure she always got what she needed, dashing to her side whenever she called, and making sure no one would hurt her. It was his duty to make fun of her, not the other children at school. If someone had accidentally walked into her, the whole village would soon hear about the fight that happened in town square that day.

Now, while their parents were getting clothes for Sigyn at their house, he sat on a stool next to her bed, whittling something out of wood. He refused to tell Sigyn what it was. He said it was a gift.

"Let's just say, it will probably look a lot like I did when I had caught that fox." He said as he rubbed the scars from small, sharp teeth on his hand.

"I'd like to see you try and make something that horrid looking." She could talk without needing to whisper now. Almost all of her pain was gone, leaving her with only a headache and restlessness.

Ragmore smirked at her comment, blowing a few stray brown hairs out of his eyes. While Sigyn had inherited their mother's ink black hair and strong sense of curiosity, he had taken the features of their father. With his large build, square jaw, and dashing smile, women regularly followed behind him in flocks. They giggled and pushed each other around until one of them had gathered enough courage to talk to him. Every time, no matter how beautiful they were, he politely declined.

Ragmore has never, in his entire life, been interested in a relationship. He was too busy practicing the different spear techniques he had learned. He's had a strange obsession with spears ever since he had first held one as a youth. He was determined to follow his dream of becoming one of the knights of Asgard, protecting their realm and combating enemies for the sake of his people.

"Sigyn, did you really fall onto a rock?" He asked, seemingly out of nowhere. While she did wonder why Loki never came back to see her, she tried to keep her mind off of him as much as she could, focusing on getting better as quickly as possible. At the mention of him out loud, she bit her tounge, making sure that she didn't say something that would give anything away.

"What? Why wouldn't I have?" She asked, giving him a questioning look. He shrugged.

"I just feel like Bard isn't everything he says he is. A sudden reward that could feed a family of four for a year? It's highly unlikely something like that would actually happen. There was also when you came home with blood all over you... I also noticed some of my clothes were missing the next morning. You always come home looking like you're hiding something after you see him. Are you sure there's nothing about him you want to tell me? I can help you with anything... Anything."

Sigyn didn't have to fake the shock she felt.

"Do you think he's _hurting me?_"

"Not necessarily, I'm just trying to make sure. You've never looked injured after you've seen him until now. But you look like you're still in pain..." Sigyn actually felt offended.

"You think he's _violating me!?_"

He looked up from his whittling to look her in the eye. He was serious, he wanted to know if she was being hurt.

"He has never, not once, hurt me in any way. Believe me, if I wanted your help, I'd ask for it. I always have, and it's defiantly had it's benefits, but Ragmore, I don't need it. Besides, you're just looking for a reason to hurt him, aren't you?" He sighed, lowering his eyes back to the wood.

"Everyone has warned me over and over that just because you believe it, doesn't mean it's true. He probably isn't a bad person. Love is blind, Sigyn. Just be cautious." Before she could make more of an argument, a healer walked into the room.

"Good news!" She beamed. "Everything has healed, you can go back home tonight! Your mother and father are coming to bring you back this very moment." She smiled brightly once more before walking back out the door.

"Finally." Ragmore said, standing and stretching. "I thought that I was going to rot and die in here. I'll meet them to make sure mother doesn't accidentally injure you again from rushing you home." His tone suggested differently. Sigyn was glad that he wanted an excuse to leave though, because his words echoed in her head, leaving her feeling worse than she had been yesterday morning, when she felt like she was drowning.


	12. Chapter 12

**TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual assult**

Her mother, did in fact, almost injure her. She nearly flung herself onto Sigyn upon entering the room, when she remembered that she was hurt. She recoiled a bit, then affectionately kissed her forehead, congratulating her on getting better. Her father helped her stand up from her bed. This was the first time she had supported her own weight in days, thus resulting in a very wobbly, slow, and tedious walk home.

After the few days it took to regain her full strength, she was never still. She refused to stop moving after being idle for so long. It would drive her insane.

When she wasn't working, she was walking around the town, looking for things to do. At least, that's what she told herself. Lying to herself was becoming a regular thing. Stubbornly reminding herself over and over again that the only reason she was circling the entire village at least three times a day was because she was looking for ways she could help people and make herself useful. Not because she was looking for ways that she could _find_ people. She reminded herself that what she felt that day wasn't love. She had just gone under severe trauma, and it messed with her thoughts.

Still... Loki was the one who kissed her. Not the other way around.

Or maybe she hallucinated that.

One day, she was walking back to her home after helping a young mother look after her children. She had repeated this cycle of pushing her thoughts down and looking around every corner of the village for a week or two, and she was giving up hope. Not that she was hoping for anything specific to happen, that is.

Even though the light in the sky had almost completely faded, children ran through the streets, playing with wooden swords and tackling each other. Street merchants were still advertising their wares, shouting to the passing crowd. Everyone was so cheerful, so happy. They didn't have a looming secret hanging over their heads. They didn't have their emotions in a constant battle, fighting for dominance.

She sighed, continuing down her path back to her home. She decided to take a less populated route so that she could be alone. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. When Sigyn had turned the corner to her detour, she didn't see anybody. The only sound she heard was owls hooting in the distance. Still having absent thoughts, she wondered down the path, staring at the ground. Before she even heard someone coming, she almost bumped into someone standing directly in front of her.

"Oh, excuse me." She mumbled quietly, not bothering to look up. She moved to the side and started to walk forward, when an arm blocked her path. She snapped out of her depressed daze and looked up at the person not letting her pass. A man who she had never seen before stood in front of her.

"Well, hello there. How long have you been wondering around here? I don't think I remember seeing anyone as beautiful as you recently." He was smiling, but something behind the smile scared her.

"... I'm sorry, I-I need to go." She said quickly. She had barely taken a step when the man suddenly grabbed her tightly and put his hand on her mouth. Sigyn let out a muffled scream, trying to squirm out of his grasp, but she couldn't move at all beneath his strong arms.

"Shh. It's okay." He whispered as he dragged her around the corner of an ally. "I just need to borrow you for a minute, okay?" He slid one of the sleeves off of her shoulder, stroking her skin. Sigyn sobbed into his hand. She couldn't do anything. She was helpless in his death grip, his hot breath against her ear. She gave up trying, exhausted from trying to escape. The man must have noticed, because he held her tighter. She almost couldn't breath. Accepting her fate, she went limp, closing her eyes, trying not to feel anything. But waves of panic still rushed over her. She cried quietly, too terrified to scream anymore. The man had just started to lift up her skirt, when he suddenly made a grunting noise and fell to the ground, releasing her from his grasp. She jumped back and cried out in surprise. The man was still and silent where he lay.

She looked up from the ground to see Loki, his hands were fisted, teeth clenched, breathing heavily, and fury boiling over in his eyes.

Stunned, as this is the first time she had seen him in weeks, she stuttered, attempting to make words form in her mouth.

"Relax, I didn't kill him." He growled, turning around and starting to walk away.

"Wait!" She finally sputtered out. He didn't stop walking. She sprinted up in front of him, forcing him to stop. He looked down at her, rage still filled his expression. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his hand constantly twitching to one of the daggers in his belt. He was trying as hard as he could not to go back and actually kill him. Though she was still half crying, she reached out her own trembling hand and placed it on his. Giving him an "It's okay." Look. Her shaky breath and tear stained face obviously didn't help. He clenched his teeth harder and walked around her, going faster this time.

"Why are you avoiding me?!" She cried out, accidentally letting out a sob.

"I'm not avoiding you, I'm avoiding _him_ before I change my mind and _gouge his eyes out!_" He shouted, turning around and walking back to her.

"... Please don't." she whispered. "No more violence. No more anger... Please." She started crying into her hands. She hadn't had a single break from trials ever since she met him. Why does trouble always seem to follow him?

His face softened as he sighed, defeated. Sigyn felt his fingers lift her head to face him. He had a small smile on his face. This was all Sigyn needed to stop crying.

They suddenly heard movement from where the man had collapsed. Loki's eyes snapped to his direction. Without looking away, he held out his hand toward her. She took it, and they ran toward the grove.

**Author's note: Uh, hi again. I was so stuck on what to do next, but my friend helped me by reading one of her fics. So I'm back. Sorry this was so short. And rushed. And just all around awful. I just wanted it updated asap. I'm writing more now, so yeah.**


	13. Chapter 13

It was quiet when they reached their tree. Normally sounds of wildlife swelled in the air. But tonight there was silence, followed by occasional rustle of leaves around them. It was strange, almost as if nature itself knew something was off.

When Sigyn caught her breath from sprinting so far, Loki checked to see if they were followed. As soon as he turned around, she started pelting him with questions.

"Why have you been staying away from me for weeks!?" Why did you disappear for so long!? Why were you suddenly there when I was attacked?! _Why did you leave?!_"

"Calm down! I was just-"

"No. _Don't_ tell me to calm down. Ever since I met you I've been in the dark about everything happening around me. I still don't know why you were wounded, I don't know why you stayed in the forest for so long when you could have easily lived in the village sooner than you had, I don't know why you left me after I had _just_-" she clamped her mouth shut when she realized that she was yelling at him as if he was supposed to always be around her. She bit her cheek, trying to swallow her words.

"_Yes, I'll admit. I did miss him... A bit. But that doesn't mean I suddenly own him or have the right to command him. He's still royalty. And a fugitive. I wonder how many times I'm going to remind myself about that before I finally accept it" _

After she went quiet, Loki tried to explain himself the best he could.

"I was wounded because I was found. I was on my way to see you, but someone spotted me and tried to turn me in..." He paused, looking guilty and sighing. "Yes, I attacked him. But not before he slashed me with his sword. I was disoriented from living in the grove so long… He caught me off guard."

Sigyn almost felt betrayed. He had hurt another person. At least it was self defence this time, but he probably didn't go easy on him. She honestly wasn't sure if he would have permanently injured him or not. Still... His story didn't rest well with her. It didn't feel right. Even disoriented, it's not easy to take down one of the most powerful people in Asgard.

Despite her doubts, she didn't want to dwell on it. She was still shaken from being assaulted. She slowly sat on the ground, her heart pounding against her chest from the terror she had endured. She felt faint from her weakened heart as her shoulders shook from her tears. She felt Loki sit next to her. He didn't say anything, he just placed his hand on top of hers and let her cry. She was enormously grateful for this. The last thing she needed at the moment was someone telling her that everything was okay. And he knew that everything wasn't okay.

She wasn't sure how long she cried, but when she had finally run out of tears, she looked up to find Loki hadn't moved at all. He had remained still the whole time, looking in the same direction toward the village, keeping the same angered expression. Sigyn recognized the darkness behind his eyes when he was fighting his violent impulses. She wrapped her fingers around his hand. His face went blank when he looked back in her direction.

"Thank you for staying with me." She said quietly. He turned back to the village in response, his grip tightened slightly. She could tell he didn't do it consciously.

"Please... Don't tell anyone about this." She whispered.

"I won't." He said, not looking away. He meant it, but fury still radiated from his voice.

"Why didn't I see you for so long?" She asked, trying to divert his attention. Sigyn actually saw him flinch when he heard her. When he looked toward her again, his eyes were full of regret, almost brooding. For what felt like a long time, he struggled to find what to say.

"... Because I was afraid. I was afraid I would hurt you again. I felt like if I saw you, it would be a reminder that I had almost destroyed something so innocent and fragile as you. A reminder of all of the innocent lives I've taken. I stayed away because I was a coward and didn't want to face what I had done. I was staying in the empty part of the village so that I could be alone. Only, tonight you..." He stopped. His hand twitched toward one of his knives again.

She hugged him. She felt tension leave him at her touch. The immediate comfort she felt as he embraced her made all of her fear disappear

"I'm safe now, okay?" She insisted. "You don't need to worry anymore."

"I love you, Sigyn."

She immediately reached up and kissed him. Every doubt she'd ever had about him deceiving her evaporated. She herself realised, that she did indeed love him too.

As she deepened the kiss, every little bit of affection she had ever held back from him finally poured out of her. All of the pain she'd been feeling moments before was gone. She let everything go, not caring anymore if it was wrong or not.


	14. Chapter 14

Sigyn arrived to her house in the middle of the night. Remembering that she said she would be back by sunset, she gently put her hand on the handle of the door, praying that her mother didn't stay up and wait for her, slowly, she opened it.

"Sigyn! Where have you been?! We were about to start looking for you! You've been gone for hours longer than you said you'd be back! What happened to you?!"

Her mother not only stayed up, but she had waited by the door. Sigyn felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Normally, she could just make something up quickly, but from everything that had happened, she could barely think straight, let alone come up with lie. She opened her mouth, searching for something, anything to say. Anything except what actually happened. Just then, Sigyn's father came from the other room. He had heard the yelling and came to the door to see what was wrong. When he saw what was happening, he sighed and put a hand around her mother's shoulders reassuringly.

"It's alright! Look, she's back and completely unharmed! Honestly, you act like she's still a child."

"But she's _barely _an adult! She doesn't know _everything_ yet! Why, when I was her age..."

She went on the usual spiel about every reason why Sigyn should be more careful because of her injury. Sigyn stood in her place until they were deep enough into the argument so she could slip into her bedroom without them noticing.

She closed the door to her bedroom behind her, falling back onto it. Physically and emotionally exhausted, she was still trying to process everything that had just happened. While she was thinking, she noticed the sleeves of her dress were a little loose. Feeling the back of it, she realized that she had forgotten to re-tie the laces. She quickly tied the laces back together, feeling her cheeks burn.

Moving over to her mirror, she tried to stop her heart from racing so fast. She still couldn't believe that she was actually in love with someone. Yes, she knew it would happen someday. But not with the Prince of Asgard. She also was open to the possibility that they would love her in return... But _definitely _not the Prince of Asgard.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was messy and a twig stuck out of it. As she took it out, pangs of panic came back to her when she saw a red mark on her cheek from when the man had held her mouth shut.

She had made Loki swear that he wouldn't hurt the man who attacked her. It took some convincing, but he finally gave in and promised to stay away from him, on the agreement that when she walked through empty parts of the village, he had to walk with her.

While in her high-strung state, she didn't expect anyone to be knocking on her door this late. When someone rapped on the wood, she jumped and squeaked.

"Sigyn! Are you alright?" Came Ragmore's voice from outside of her door.

"Yes. You just surprised me." She said as she quickly brushed her hair out. "Come in." He slowly opened the door to her bedroom.

"You're back." He said as he walked quietly into the room. She didn't answer, still trying to calm down. She was about to go and lay down on her bed, when she noticed that he was holding something. When she eyed it, Ragmore opened up his hand to her, revealing a wooden flower on a ribbon. Sigyn smiled wide at his woodwork.

"So, this is what you've been working on?" She asked as he tied it around her neck. She picked it up and looked at it. The petals were so intricate, they almost looked real. They bent and twisted, as if they were blowing in a gentle wind. He had polished it to the point where she could see her reflection in it. A little shocked at his newfound workmanship skills, she admired it for a moment.

"It's... Beautiful." She breathed. He seemed almost relieved.

"What, you didn't think so?" She asked, placing it back down on her neck.

"I just wasn't sure if you would like it." He shrugged. "I'm glad you do."

"I love it!" She exclaimed. "Thank you so much for making it for me." He waved it off, but he was smiling. When he looked back at her face, his grin disappeared.

"Have you been crying?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Sigyn glanced in the mirror only to find that her eyes were red. By now, she had taken too long of a pause to lie.

"... Yes." She muttered. Ragmore gave her an "Do you want to talk about it?" look. In response, she kneeled next to her fireplace and started a fire. He sighed.

"Alright. Let me know if you need anything... Or just want to talk." He said, closing the door behind him.

Sigyn almost burned herself from the fire as she felt yet more tears rim at her eyes. Ragmore had always been there for her, ready to risk his life to save his little sister. He constantly checked on her, asking if she ever needed anything. Every once in a while, when she was upset about something, he would talk to her for hours about anything and everything. They always ended up roaring with laughter and Sigyn would have forgotten whatever she was sad about in the first place.

Now, she fell onto her bed. Wanting more than anything to go into his room and tell him everything. But she couldn't. Not this time.

* * *

Sigyn woke up screaming from a nightmare. Again. Since she was attacked, she re-lived the experience every night, each time more vivid than the last. Frantically looking around her bedroom, she realized it was just a dream. She breathed deeply, trying to relax. But, just like all of the other days, she couldn't. Sighing, she got dressed as quickly as possible and tried to run out of the door before anyone could see her.

"Sigyn, that's the fourth day in a row. Are you alright?" Her father's gentle voice stopped her from walking any further. She cringed before turning around and shrugging.

"I don't know why I've been having nightmares lately. It's all really strange things, too. Yesterday, I dreamed that Mother had snakes coming out of her mouth. That one _really_ scared me."

"It's not that much different from how she usually is." He joked. She genuinely laughed. Her father made a small grin before becoming serious again.

"Sigyn, you can tell me anything. You know that right?" She stopped laughing and forced herself to give him a kind smile.

"Of course, father." She said, kissing his cheek. "I'll be back before dinner,okay?" He nodded, gesturing for her to go out of the door.

She closed the door behind her, gritting her teeth. She was so tired of lying.


	15. Chapter 15

When Sigyn had woken up in her frighten state for the fourth time in a row, she couldn't take it anymore. She didn't care if she would get in trouble for staying out late again. She needed to see him. She would practically implode if she didn't.

After she left her house, she started running around the village frantically, asking everyone if they knew where "Bard" was. After an excruciating long time of people shrugging and shaking their heads, her fear clutched at her throat, making it harder to breath with every step she took. She dashed around the fields, glancing at workers faces, trying to find his disguised face among an ocean of men and women.

She stopped to catch her breath when she reached the farms.

_"I can't find him anywhere... What if he's been captured?! He's made it this long... He should still be here. Did he run away again? No. Not after that night. He definitely wouldn't. What if he's at the grove? He might be. I should go find out."_

When she could breath regularly again, she slowly started to became aware of her surroundings. She realized that she was out in the open. Alone.

Flashbacks of the panic Sigyn felt when she was attacked swelled within her, making her feel heavier by the second. Her hand shot her flower charm around her neck, clutching the smooth surface underneath her fingers. It reminded her of the kindness and bravery her brother would always shelter her with. She had always wanted to have as much of a good heart and courage as him.

She envisioned herself as a warrior against her own fright. Slashing swords and shooting arrows at everything that weighed her down, like Ragmore would. She calmed down a little, trying to inhale courage and exhale doubt and paranoia.

A horse suddenly whinnied in the stables, followed by someone shushing it harshly. Sigyn's head snapped towards the sound, recognizing it instantly. She bolted to the doorway, peering inside when she reached it. He was there, trying to put reins on a stubborn horse.

Her heart leaped at the sight of him, wishing more than ever that she could jump into his arms and never leave them. But she forced herself to stay quiet in case someone was near.

"Loki!" She hissed. His head whipped up from the reigns, expression brightening when he spotted her. Sigyn only returned the brightness halfway. Yes, she was overjoyed to see him, but she was full of anxiety and still felt jumpy and exposed. She gestured for him to come and talk to her. While he walked towards her, he noticed how uneased and fidgety she looked.

"What is it? Is everything alright?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, concerned.

"Listen..." Sigyn said tightly. She breathed in a shaky breath, trying to figure out how to ask this. He looked at her expectantly. Sighing, she pushed the words out of her mouth.

"I wanted to ask you if we could continue our lessons-"

"No." He interrupted, taking his hand off of her.

"But-"

"_No._"

"But what if-"

"Sigyn, I'm _not_ teaching you anymore!" He shouted. When she recoiled a bit, Loki realized he yelled at her. Regret crossed over him.

"Sorry." He muttered. "It's just that there's... A huge chance that I could accidentally reawaken your second power source. If that happens, you _will _die. I..." He paused, struggling to speak. "...That _can't _happen. Not again. _I_ _can't lose you._" Desperation rang deep in his voice, making Sigyn realize that she was literally the only person he had right now. His family and friends are either dead, or think that _he's _dead.

"Okay. We won't." she reassured. A clear sense of relief came upon him, thankful for her understanding.

"But... I haven't been able to sleep without having terrifying nightmares for days now. I'm constantly on edge, expecting someone to leap out of the shadows at me. I can't rest at all! I need _some _sense of security. I wanted to learn magic so that I... I just want to feel safe again."

Something suddenly flashed across his face at her words. It was so brief that if she hasn't been watching as closely as she was, she would have missed it.

Fear. It was paralyzing fear that he accidentally let slip. His eyes were illuminated with memories flashing through them, terror and horror brimming over. But it left just as soon as it came and was replaced by a very convincing smile of comfort.

"Sigyn, don't worry. I _will _make sure you're always safe. Here." He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and waved his hand over it. It glowed green for a bit, and then he handed it to Sigyn.

"If you're ever in any kind of trouble, tear this apart. I'll be there within seconds."

As Sigyn felt the paper's sleek surface, she almost immediately felt peace again. It was as if he had put a calming spell on it. Maybe he did.

"Thank you." She smiled gratefully at Loki. "But... Is there something wrong?"

"No. Why?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She shrugged.

"I just thought you looked worried for a moment, that's all."

"Everything is fine. I promise." He said, taking her hand. Sincerity lined his words at Sigyn, But underneath it all, it sounded like he was trying to convince himself too.

"Bard! Are you done in there yet?" Asked a gruff voice from outside, interrupting their stare of adoration. Loki rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Almost!" He called out. He glanced towards the doorway for her to leave before they were caught. Sigyn hugged him for a moment, absorbing his affection he radiated at her touch. She let go of him and ran out of the door, clutching tight to the paper he had given her.


End file.
